The Army of Black and White: One-shots
by Dumpling Dragon
Summary: A series of short one-shots with my OCs for everyone who liked the Army of Black and White. I may need to change the rating, so keep that in mind. The events take place in different moments of the story.
1. Beginnings

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

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_Beginnings_

A female panda was sitting at the table in her house. It was a little too dark there, but she was so absorbed in what she was doing, that she hadn't even noticed. She was sticking a needle into a small bundle of raw black and white fabric. The toy was already stuffed, but it still didn't look like she had planned and she was trying to make it better. It was frustrating to try to sew something so small, having so big paws! Especially when it turned out that the toy would be even smaller than she had thought.

"Is this a mouse?" Her husband's voice sounded right behind her and the bigger panda leaned down over her shoulder to take a good look at the thing.

She twitched startled and sighed sadly when he saw her failure. "It was supposed to be a giant panda." The female explained frustrated.

"Oh... sorry." He muttered awkwardly.

She left the toy and the needle with the thread and hid her face in her hands, resting her elbows on the table. "No wonder that your mother thinks that I'm not good wife material." She stated, thinking of those few half-burned dinners she had made lately.

He embraced his beloved wife from behind and placed a kiss on her head. "To me, you're the best wife I could ever dream of." He said warmly, and leaned his head against hers to look at the stuffed bear again, although he was surprised. He hadn't known that she liked making toys. But it was so cute. He liked that. "There's no need to hurry." He said and started to straighten up, he had to go back to work. "You can finish this panda anytime you want. I'm sure it will look better tomorrow."

"Actually, there _is_ some hurry..." She said when he was about to leave the house.

He stopped in the sunlight coming from outside. He had a strange feeling. "What do you mean?" He asked confused, looking at his wife, who got up and approached him.

"Don't you think that I've got bigger lately?... Somewhere... here?" She asked, placing his paws on her belly. "And I can say that it's also your fault!" She said with a beaming smile.

He felt danger as he suspected a trap. "I didn't force you to eat those cakes at night!" He said defensively and chuckled sheepishly, seeing her look. "Really, one kilogram more or less doesn't matter to me. You're beautiful anyway, and I love you."

She facepalmed, trying not to lose her patience. _Males_... "Honey, I'm not talking about sweets." She explained again with a touched smile. "I'm talking about a cute, little panda.."

He looked at her stunned, so she shot happily. "We're going to have a baby!"

He was so shocked that he couldn't say anything in the beginning, she grabbed his arm as he slid down the wall and sat on the floor. "Are you OK?" She asked seriously worried, seeing his reaction.

"A baby? But... how?" He asked, staring at his wife shocked. The thought that her body was carrying a new life, which was also a small part of him, should be so natural, but it was totally... crazy instead.

She blushed and grinned playfully, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Well, you shouldn't be so surprised after so many times when we... you know..."

A troubled look appeared on his face instead of a smile. "..oh no..." He said, staring into space.

"'_NO_?!'" She pulled herself away, utterly scandalized by his words.

"Our house... is too small!" He realised and looked her in the eyes again. "We're going to have a baby and our house is too small!" He stood up quickly. "I must build a room for our daughter... or our son... No! First, I should tell Lao that I need at least a month off to rebuild our house. Do you think that a month will be enough?" He asked after a short thought.

She stood up too, and stopped his rush, giving him a tight hug and snuggling her paws and nose into his fur. Though she wanted to laugh, she couldn't stop her tears of happiness. Could she be more happy, being married to her beloved panda and expecting his child? She felt his arms embracing her lovingly and he kissed her, still surprised and delighted by the news. That felt as if she were flying.

"Two months." She decided, smiling like crazy and gave him another kiss.


	2. Brothers

**You probably were curious what Shan was talking about, saying that Shen had saved him from something years earlier. OK, I know you weren't curious. ;) But, there actually was a story behind that. As far as I remember, he didn't say it because of Qiu's sudden appearance. Well, that idiot didn't have any sense of timing. I'll fix his mistake now.**

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

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_Brothers_

It happened many years ago, one warm afternoon, on of the beautiful hills around the Gongmen City. A very young blue peacock, who arrived at the city a few days earlier, was now training there alone, waiting for his white cousin to join him. Unfortunately, they could rarely spend time together, for young Lord Shan lived very far away from Gongmen. Unfortunately, because he would rather spend the rest of his days in this city, instead of living so close to his brothers.

So, there was a bamboo forest on the hill.. and a small glade in the middle of it, from where he could see the city and the Tower of Sacred Flame.

He was moving his wings and legs calmly, fighting in slow motion some invisible opponent with his favourite steel fan. He was just a beginner, but if Shen said that he would help him become better...

The grass rustled behind him, and he heard that. "Shen?.. You scared me..." The bird managed to say before he turned, then he saw... a big brown bear standing now right before him. And he was sending him a perverted grin. The peacock's heartbeat quickened as he had a very bad feeling about that situation.

"My... What have we here?..." The bear spoke, leering at the boy, and decreasing the already small distance between them, while Shan looked completely disoriented. "Nice dress, little slut." The bird took a few steps back, staring the bear in the eyes, and his wings and legs started shaking with fear when he realised that he was in danger. "Do you want to know what I'll do now?.." The pervert asked.

The bird unfolded his steel war fan awkwardly, because his wings were still shaking. "I have a weapon.." He warned in a wavering voice. "..and I won't hesitate to use it."

Yes. He totally failed to frighten the other guy.

That pathetic attempt to scare him off made the bear stop grinning. In the next second, with one strong blow, his paw knocked the fan out of his wing and to the peacock's horror, the weapon fell on the grass a few metres away from him. He looked at the bear again and... turned immediately, trying to dash away. Suddenly, he felt someone pull his train hard and he fell on the ground, not able to get up again. Panic and despair started to paralyse his mind and body as he was trying hard to yank his feathers out of the bear's grip, but it didn't work.

Then the pervert turned him onto his back and pressed him to the ground with almost his whole body. "No, please!" The bird screamed and started to cry when the bear was trying to yank his blue robe off him. Shan realised that he had no chances.

"Scream more." The bear grinned, still trying to get the bird undressed. The disgusting guy was already panting, knowing what he would do in the next moment, and trying to immobilize the bird's wings and legs, though it wasn't a big problem to him.

"Get off of him." Someone's calm, low voice spoke somewhere behind the bear. Shan's heartbeat quickened with hope when he heard him and his mind stuck to the sound desperately.

Genuinely surprised, the bear stopped whatever he was doing and turned his head to the source of the voice. There was a white peacock standing on the other side of the small glade. The pervert chuckled, seeing the other bird. "Prince Charming... Fuck off, or you'll be next." He said, turning to his prey again. Shan didn't understand why the bear was so calm.

"Well... Remember that I asked." Shen said and in the next second, the rapist's eyes widened and he froze for a moment. Shan didn't know what was happening and how long it lasted, but eventually, the bear's body collapsed onto him limply.

The boy couldn't move. He was too scared and the body lying on him was too heavy. The white bird ran up to him and helped him roll the dead brown bear onto the ground. When Shan was struggling to stand up, the other peacock took his four or six knives out of the rapist's back and wiped the blood on the bear's clothes.

"He tried.." He started, but his elder brother just walked up and embraced him protectively. He stroked his back, feeling his blue cousin's body shake violently as Shan broke down in tears again. He understood that it would be better to shut up.

"It's OK now." Shen said very quietly, trying to calm him down. He realised that he had almost been _too late_... And he didn't want to think what would have happened if he had come too late. When he let the blue bird calm down a little, he adjusted his robe and smoothed it. "Listen." He said, looking into the other peacock's black eyes. "Don't tell anybody about what happened here."

Shan nodded, and he didn't want to wonder why Shen was saying that. He just wanted to forget about that damned day. The white peacock picked up the fan and folding it, he handed the weapon to his cousin. "I'll teach you how to fight." He assured and the younger bird looked at him gratefully, with relief.

After a moment, their gaze landed on the dead bear lying nearby on the grass. "Let's go." The older bird said. "We should hide the body."


	3. Untold

**I don't own any of KFP character or locations. I own only the OCs.**

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_Untold_

It was quite a peaceful late afternoon in the Panda Village, but not for two certain pandas. Master Heng was heading slowly for the meadows beside the rice terraces where he had left his kung fu master a day earlier after their last quarrel. He was thinking of what he had told him then and he realised that there were things he didn't understand at all. The master hadn't tried to convince him of anything... He hadn't disciplined him in any way. He had just said 'wait...' before the student walked away so angry, with a feeling of being deluded.

The panda exhaled sadly, approaching the green meadows where his friends and master often trained. Now the meadows were empty, but he saw the lone male panda standing there as almost always, with his favourite rice hat put on his head. He was gazing at the rice terraces, leaning against the wooden fence made of only a few boards, meditating probably. As always. The student felt guilty after what he had told that panda. OK, maybe Lao was old, maybe he was a bit weird.. and some of his ideas weren't entirely clear... But he didn't want to hurt him and lose such a friend. He was still his kung fu master and he was surely wiser than Heng and the younger panda knew he owed a lot to him. The student approached the fence separating symbolically the path in the village from the green meadows and terraces.

"Master Lao, forgive me." He said sincerely to the panda and sighed when the other man was turning to him. "I didn't want to react like that." The student confessed, referring to his outburst of anger. "I'm very sorry."

The older panda looked at him so surprised as if that particular student's appearance there was the last thing he had expected. Master Heng worried that his situation was really bad when Lao was looking at him with his deep brown eyes somehow surprised for a longer moment, as if unsure what to say.

"You don't have to apologize..." The old panda said finally in a somehow sad tone and lowered his gaze, turning to the fields again.

_Oh no._ The student started scratching his claws together slightly, feeling nervous. The master's reaction was really unexpected. Suspiciously calm, even for someone so gentle like him. The younger panda's green eyes were looking at the old master unsurely as he was considering whether he should say something or just let him speak. He never wanted to fail him so much, to disappoint him like that. _I shouldn't have said all those things._ He thought to himself before he heard Lao's next words.

"..._I_ am sorry."

"Huh?!" Heng couldn't stop his confused reaction, but the other panda didn't seem to notice that.

"You must know that it wasn't punishment." Lao continued, sensing clearly the student's questioning look through his fur and hat. "I don't give you more work to humiliate or break you in reward for being the best of my students." The older master finally turned again and looked at the student as if he was going to say something very hard to understand, but also very important. "There's something..." He began very carefully, but stopped suddenly, wondering if he should ever say that.

"What?.." Master Heng asked, not being able to stop himself anymore as the moment of silence was getting longer and the tension was getting unbearable.

Lao opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but eventually, after another moment of silence, he spoke vaguely. "Great power is great responsibility. I'm sure you'll come to understand it better with time, _Panda_..." He used that nickname somehow meaningfully, but not in an unfriendly manner. "I gave you so much work because I don't want you to lose your humbleness that makes you such a good person." He confessed, visibly trying to be understandable, although he couldn't tell him the truth himself.

The younger master smiled suddenly, not understanding the real meaning of his words yet and he felt relief after hearing Lao's words. "I know, Master. I know that." He assured warmly. "That's why I'm here now. I missed my training today, so you can 'maltreat' me a little if you want," The younger panda joked and sighed, trying to awake some mercy in him, although he was never good at it. "Or... I can just go to the terraces and work there alone till late in the evening..."

Lao didn't feel like laughing. "As you surely have noticed, the fields are empty. I let the others go home earlier today and I have only one task for you too." He said in such a serious tone that Heng suddenly stopped smiling stupidly and started to worry, preparing himself for what he would hear in the next moment. "Go home and spend more time with your wife and son. They deserve your love and respect."

The younger master looked at him surprised, sure that the older one was feeling disappointed. "I know, but.."

"Good night, Panda." Master Lao said and walked away as he always did that whenever he considered the talk to be finished.

* * *

Later that evening, when it was still bright, Master Heng entered his son's room and approached the wooden crib in which the little boy was lying on his back, playing with the stuffed panda bear. (The toy really looked like a panda at last!) The child smiled, seeing his dad's green eyes and reached out his hands towards the older panda, not noticing that the toy had rolled away. The father scratched the little bear's belly and the panda started to laugh suddenly, catching his dad's paw.

Then his dad took something out of his pocket and gave the boy a small, green bamboo branch with some leaves. The little panda took it quickly and started chewing at it almost automatically, although he wasn't hungry. After a short moment, when the child ate the leaves, the master picked up his son, he held him for a moment before his face and took a closer look at him. "How do you know that I'm your dad?" He asked, still not believing entirely that he was someone's father and that the little person counted on him, trusted and loved him.

The child didn't look very anxious by the question, returning his expectant look with a smile. He babbled something, moving his hands at the same time. "OK, you just know that." The father chuckled, not wanting the child to think anything bad about his parents and hugged him warmly. "One day I'll become your teacher." He promised, although he wasn't sure why.

The child felt sleepy, and yawned quietly, feeling the other panda's lulling warmth and his paw scratching his back gently. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his dad's kiss on his head.

The master didn't know that his wife was leaning against the door's frame, enjoying the sight of her husband, who was still dressed in his training robe, and was holding their son. She knew she was staring, but what could she do about that, the sight was so sexy.

He saw her accidentally and she whispered with a wide smile, not knowing if the child was asleep. "Dinner's ready. He's already eaten."

"One moment." He whispered, putting the child to bed carefully and when the boy was almost asleep, he tucked him in and put the toy on the table.

"Hey!" She whispered again. "I didn't burn it this time!" She assured, sending him an even wider smile.

"I believe." He answered quietly, trying to muffle his laughter not to wake up the little panda. He would surely smell the smoke.

When the tiny bear was falling asleep, his dad gave his mom a kiss on the cheek and they went quietly downstairs.

* * *

The food was surprisingly tasty although she hadn't used anybody's help and he looked at her worriedly when she suddenly became very silent, instead of regretting that her mother-in-law couldn't try her dinner herself, instead of being talkative or asking him how his talk with Lao had gone for example.

"Is something wrong?" He asked quietly, barely recognizing his wife, looking at that sad panda. She looked as if she was going to tell him about something really bad and it made him feel that it was just the beginning of something very painful.

"I thought today..." She began slowly, staring into the table top. "That if something happened... I would become a widow... I thought that I could lose you." She thought that he would think she was stupid, although he had never told her anything like that. "And I realised that I couldn't live without you." She stated, but after a moment, when she felt how pathetic and desperate it had sounded, she added. "I don't know, maybe I could... but it wouldn't be the same, happy life without your smile, hope, without your arms, without... you."

He didn't know what to say, looking at her surprised. He couldn't understand what had brought her such dark thoughts, because what bad could happen? He pulled her closer to himself and embraced her warmly, leaving a kiss on her temple. "If you think that something bad will happen to me, don't worry." He assured a bit jokingly. "I'm not going anywhere."

She sighed, not wanting to start crying and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I just don't want to lose you. I love you."

"I know." He said comfortingly and gave her more kisses, hugging her and stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I love you too." He assured completely seriously, although he still didn't know why she was thinking of such sad things. "And I promise that I will never leave you..."

She smiled, though two tears appeared in her eyes. Her beloved panda's embrace and warm fur brought her some sense of peace and she didn't want to worry about their future anymore. It was good now. And there was only _now_ in that moment. The best _now_ in their life.

Suddenly, their little son's loud babbling disturbed their peaceful silence and the parents chuckled simultaneously. "...or you!" The father finished, looking in the direction from the child's voice was coming.


	4. Nowhere to be found

**(A.N.) OK, I know you don't give a shit what happened after the genocide and before the Army story, but I'll tell you anyway. I don't know, maybe I'm addicted to annoy people with my crappy angst.. So, in _Winter in the Hideout_ you learned how Master Heng had met Zhú. (Although they surely knew about each other's existence earlier.) But I still owe you some explanation how she became... who she became. Here's the first part of it, it would be necessary in case I manage to write Army 2. (Yeah, sure!;) When at the end of the part 1 I wrote that I saw potential in that OC I really meant something. The end of this one-shot may be a bit confusing to you, but it's just the first appearance of ****Zhú**'s unique talent...  


**By the way, have you ever thought what Po's father felt after losing his family? I of course don't know that, but I used my imagination and... eh.. here's what I got. Normally, I never ask anybody for their opinion, but this time, I'd like to know what you think about that.  
**

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

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_Nowhere to be found_

As he was approaching the provisional camp in the mountains they had set up after the attack, Master Heng heard the voices of the pandas talking there. He was too exhausted to meet with them again... to talk with them... They were shaken.. shocked.. overwhelmed with despair and disoriented. They had taken only a few things along with them. Now they expected some ideas and decisions from him. They expected that as the best warrior in the village and Master Lao's best student, he would tell them what to do. That he would give them hope. But he himself didn't have any hope anymore.

Shaking, he sat down somewhere not far away from the camp, leaning his back against one of the big boulders lying there since hundreds of years. The sad grayness around him was so hypnotizing. So comfortingly depressive.

He was all alone. It was the end. The end of his life. Of his happiness.

He hadn't found her. He had been looking everywhere. In the village, in their house, in the other houses.. in the terraces, in the nearest forest.. But he never found her or her body. They didn't spare even the child...

_Why?.._

_What did we do to them?..._

He asked himself in his thought, thinking of the wolves from Gongmen and didn't understand. He looked at his hands. Despite the tears welling up in his eyes, he managed to see that his hands were so... empty. And they would always be empty from now on. He would never take his son in his arms again.

_My only son._

_Our only child._

_He was just a little child..._

He hid his face in his hands and lost himself completely in despair. He lay down onto his side, crying and feeling his tears flowing down his face and between his fingers. He wanted to lie there and never to get up. He couldn't get up after seeing all those dead pandas. He had known so many of them.

But those two bodies he hadn't found and probably would never find...

Maybe it was better that he couldn't see them... He would lose his mind. Especially that he didn't know what they had done to her. He tried hard not to think.. not to imagine that.

But maybe it would be much easier if he could hug and kiss her one last time, if he could say goodbye to their only child and bury his beloved family so that they didn't have to lie somewhere there in the snow.

_How could I fail them so much?..._

_Did I not appreciate them enough?.._

_Did I love them not strongly enough?_

_I just wanted to be happy... with my wife and our son. Nothing more._

_What did we do wrong that we were punished like that?_

* * *

The thirteen years old girl, though her legs were still trembling after the horrible events in the village, approached the older panda when he was lying in the middle of that hidden place nearby the camp. She was still dressed in her dirty dress tattered here and there and the deep scratches on her wrists were still hurting. Although one of the oldest mothers had insisted, Zhú hadn't changed the dirty bandages, the other pandas needed them more than she did.

She had been watching him for a very long while since he had appeared near the camp. She had to tell him that one of the females had died about an hour earlier after some complications during her premature labor caused by their hurried escape. But when she saw that he couldn't stop crying, she assumed that he either had found the bodies of his wife and son or... nothing. Zhú decided to spare him another sad news and she sat down on the ground near the big bear. She understood his suffering well.

"Master Heng.." She whispered to him in a weak voice she couldn't even recognize.

"Leave me here!" He demanded, trying hard to wipe away his tears. Someone expected decisions from him again. "I can't, don't you understand?.. I just can't, leave me alone!"

She didn't know what to do or say. No words would ease his pain, anyway. She wasn't sure how he would react, maybe he would get up and hit her, she didn't care, for she already knew what it was like to be backhanded by someone she didn't even know. But she laid her paw on him and stroked the older panda's arm.

She immediately felt his suffering entering her body, but it didn't seem to affect her. Zhú leaned against the big panda, not stopping holding his arm. _I know_... Her tears started escaping her eyes again, although she had thought she couldn't cry anymore.

The horrible chaos in his mind was screaming, tearing him apart, destroying him. That pain was almost physical, he felt all those lashes on his body.

But time slowed down and after a moment.. in some inexplicable way.. his mind filled with peaceful emptiness and blackness.. as everything was changing in him and around him forever. She heard his heartbeat become calmer among the silence while he realised that she didn't expect from him to be strong when he didn't feel up to.

_I understand... really_. She thought, rubbing his arm comfortingly. It was heartbreaking to her that she couldn't do anything to help him, no matter how much she wanted it... after he took her out of her house where _that_ had happened. Little did she know what she actually had done for him.

The male stirred and slowly started to get up off the ground as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep.

"Zhú. Stand up." He said quietly still hurt, but determined, looking down at the girl and she looked up at him surprised. He had made a decision. "I know what to do."


	5. Impossible

**(A.N.) Well, I should have expected that "crazy" response to my last question...**

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

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_Impossible_

"GET UP!" The master shouted at the fourteen years old girl, who was cowering close to the ground, terrified by what he was doing. She didn't understand it.. in one moment nothing could make him angry, in another moment, he was merciless like tsunami. When he had said 'training in the mountains' she didn't know it would look like that. He threw at her a long bamboo stick again, while he was holding another one. The stick hit her lightly and fell on the ground with a quiet sound.

He gave her another moment to get ready and started pacing back and forth near her, exasperated by her lack of response, but she didn't get up. "Please, stop." She said weakly, covering her face. Really? He wasn't joking? He was going to hit her?

"I won't stop, because I don't want you to be a _victim_!" He replied angrily and grabbing her arm, he forced her to stand up.

She looked at him from between her shaking fingers. "Can't we just... talk like two normal pandas?..." Zhú asked the twenty-eight years old male, hoping that he would try some other methods, more suitable to teach a girl. "That hurt-"

"That hurt and it will hurt until you stop behaving like that, because you're supposed to be the best!" He answered and leaned down. The master handed her the other stick and took a step back.

Now she knew why he had chosen that particular place. There was no way out. He didn't want to stop and she couldn't run away from there, either. She had to fight him, but how could she defeat someone older, bigger and more experienced than her? That all scared her so much that she could only stand there petrified with fear and stare at the other panda until she felt pain in her left arm as he struck her again.

That hurt.

She didn't want to be there.

She wanted to cry.

The girl fell on the ground, dropping the stick and covered her face in desperation again, hoping that he would go away. "Please..."

Her behavior enraged him so much that he hit her again to warn her. She started to cry, but instead of stopping, he hit her with the other bamboo stick one more time. "Show me the power of your name!" He demanded, trying to break her. Completely intimidated, she didn't react, so he swung his bamboo stick again.

Another blow was strong enough to bend the stick slightly. When it hit the girl, she felt unbelievable pain in her arm and back. Her vision went black and she leaned on her hands with a scream of pain.

No. He wasn't joking.

Her fingers trembled as she was gasping for air. It came to her mind that she would not survive that day. And either she would die trying to defend herself or die like a coward. Like a _victim_. For a short moment she believed that she had nothing to lose. So when he lifted his arms to hit her again, not thinking much, she caught her bamboo stick and hit his weapon, stopping it in its tracks.

He looked at the girl surprised; she was holding her stick, blocking the other one firmly. He took a step back respectfully to give her a chance to stand up. And she stood up, although the pain was still strong. He saw that she was scared, but she wasn't that terrified creature anymore. He got into his fighting stance and after a moment, he moved his arms and delivered another blow.

She responded again in the way she could, and the two sticks collided again. He smiled slightly when he saw that she wasn't going to let him harm her again. Not wanting to go too easy on her, he got ready and swung his weapon faster again, but she managed to deflect the next two hits too. He felt something strange and wonderful at the same time, seeing the frightened girl become someone determined, maybe even someone who could become a warrior with time.

Noticing the slight movement of his hands and arms again, she got ready immediately and hit his stick, blocking him before he managed to strike her. It made him feel excited and he smiled focused. They forgot about the rest of the world for a moment. There was no past or future. He wasn't going to treat her gently just because she was a girl. Trying to take her by surprise, he suddenly delivered another few blows. He managed to hit her in the shoulder. Another blow hit her ribs. She ignored the pain completely, it was not significant now, and she deflected the rest of the hits, using as much strength as she still had. Although she was panting hard, he couldn't let her catch her breath and lose that precious attitude, so he began another series of blows. But what happened in the next few seconds amazed him utterly - when he was continuing his attack and she was trying to deflect his blows. If he were a real enemy, he would have put her in a very dangerous situation, because although he hadn't planned it, one of his blows knocked her weapon out of her hands and almost sent it flying into the air. Almost.. because he could swear, she caught the stick and swung it at him so powerfully that he blocked her hit in the last second.

The force of her blow was so strong that it shook his bamboo stick and sent a wave of pain down his arms, forcing him to step back. He looked at her stunned. Was it possible? Or was it just his imagination?.. Did she really manage to catch the weapon when it was flying away and slam it into his stick so hard... literally in the blink of an eye?

In that moment, Master Heng had a feeling that he was sparring with someone equal to him. He didn't have much time to think of it, for she started... attacking him herself. Now he was on the defensive and had to shield himself from her attacks. And she wasn't gentle, oh no!

"Hyyiiiaaah!"

He blocked and deflected a few hits and when he was trying hard to follow her astounding swiftness, he understood that she was a bit different than him. She was like snow swathing peacefully the mountain peaks... but once awaken, she could become an uncontrollable avalanche destroying everything on its way... maybe except for the mountain. While he was more like that mountain... immovable, standing still for years.

"Ouch! OUCH!" He cried when she managed to hit him hard again. "OK, stop!" He dropped his stick and caught her weapon with both hands, not wanting her to go berserk. But to his surprise, she immediately stopped attacking him, let go of the bamboo stick and looked at the panda unsurely, afraid that she had done something wrong. She was still trembling, breathing hard, still not believing that she had managed to reply to his attacks, while he leaned against her stick, trying to catch his breath. "I think it's enough for today." He panted out, looking at the girl with appreciation. He hadn't suspected that her moves were actually thought-out, though they looked so chaotic. "I'm impressed, I didn't know you could hit so hard."

Zhú smiled brightly for a short moment, as if she had forgotten about the situation the pandas were in. About... _the past_. Because the feeling of strength and courage he had given her was wonderful. She felt pride and excitement and she thought that she wanted to train every day from now on. She wanted to be better. She wanted to fight.

Master Heng returned her smile and picked the other weapon up off the ground. "Let's go home. You deserve a good rest." He offered warmly and put his arm around the girl's shoulder as they started to walk away from there, because he didn't want her to walk behind him. But when his paw slid down accidentally, he felt that her arm was badly swollen, hot and throbbing. He stopped suddenly and lifted her left arm. He touched it carefully in a few spots and looked at the younger panda alarmed. "Zhú.. your arm is broken. Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Huh?.." The girl looked genuinely disoriented. She didn't feel any pain, still feeling only all the adrenaline rush after their first training. "It's not..." She managed to say before her gaze landed on her left arm and when she saw it bend in the place it wasn't supposed to bend at all... she felt sharp pain shoot through her left arm, chest and the right arm, and finish its way in the fingers before she passed out.

"Zhú!..." The panda caught the girl slumping to the ground and helped her lie down safely. He almost forgot about her incredible speed he had seen during their fight, she probably didn't remember it too. He stroked her head, and though he should pick her up and run to the village to immobilize her arm quickly, he felt touched... and guilty for hurting her. He felt so many things at the same time. He smiled to himself slightly, looking at the student, who... he himself didn't know what that mysterious girl had managed to do... astonish him? Impress him? Best him? With a broken arm... On the first day of their training.


	6. The White Ghost

**(A.N.) Ok, this time I'll tell you who I'm writing about: Lord Shen, the Wolf Boss and his son, Deshi.**

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_The White Ghost_

A little, dark gray wolf cub was sniffing at the wooden boxes standing somewhere in the dark part of the big hideout. Actually, it was dark almost everywhere there. The little wolf, bored with staying at home all the time, had wandered there to explore the big world outside. He smelled the funny scent of the wooden boxes and it interested him. His dad smelled exactly like something what was hidden inside. But what was there? He circled the boxes, sniffing at them and forgetting about the other wolves working somewhere around there behind the gray clouds of smoke. The noises and metallic sounds weren't distracting him, for he was so curious about the mysterious content. He finally stopped and scratched the side of one of the wooden boxes, trying to open it. It wasn't so easy... He scratched it one more time and when it didn't work, he thought that he could tunnel into there. He stood firmly on his hind legs and started to dig, scratching the wooden boards the boxes were standing on.

_Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch..._

"Don't..." Someone's low voice sounded high above his head and some cold, sharp, metal talons grabbed his arm gently. The boy, distracted a little, lifted his gaze, and saw the big white bird standing nearby and his red eyes looking down at him calmly. "...if you don't want to wear such 'gloves' for the rest of your life... Deshi..." The bird muttered the last part of his utterance almost meditatively, knowing that the child would not understand it anyhow.

His eyes were hypnotizing much like his long train. He was such a strange person. Everyone at the hideout were dark or gray, but he was the only one wearing white robes, the only one who had feathers and a beak. He was like a ghost... but although he often shouted at the other wolves, the cub somehow wasn't scared at all.

"Is there a problem?" Some other voice spoke behind the child. The talons let go of his arm, and some soft, big paws picked up the little wolf off the floor. The cub embraced the older wolf automatically, recognizing his dad's arms. The wolf boss smelled like those boxes again and like those metal blades in their hut. The boy liked that, he felt safe, smelling it.

"He shouldn't play so close to the powder." The white bird answered not very loudly, and not quietly, but still calmly.

The adult wolf had a feeling that he should show the bird a little more respect, but for some reason, he couldn't. In that moment, he just wanted to walk away. "He must have run away from my hut." He explained, wondering if Shen could feel his nervousness when he was holding his son protectively in his arms.

"Where is his mother?.." Shen asked in the same calm tone as before.

"Died in childbirth."

The bird gave a quiet chuckle and tickled the cub's nose with the long, white feathers at the end of his wing. "You killed an adult female on the first day of your life? You'll be a great warrior." He 'joked' cruelly.

The boy didn't understand his words at all, but he didn't like them. And he didn't like the smell of the bird's feathers. Suddenly, he snapped and caught a few of Shen's 'fingers' with his teeth. He didn't know that his father's heart stopped in fear for a moment as his gaze landed on the small fangs biting the feathers. To the cub's surprise, although he was clenching his teeth firmly, the bird didn't seem to feel any pain. He just slipped his feathers out between his teeth.

_He must be some god._ The little wolf thought with awe, while his dad said something, turned and started to walk away from there. The boss scratched the cub behind the ear. "Don't listen to him." He said to the boy quietly, when he was sure that the bird couldn't hear him. "You didn't kill anybody."


	7. Who the night is for

**(A.N.) This short story takes place still before Po's father's meeting with Po. (Yeah, still before... I'm starting to be boring with these prequels...) This one-shot contains Po's dad's thoughts about his best student, Zhú. Friendship, feelings, tiredness, as always in my stories. Something to think, or just to read and relax, even if you don't give a damn about the whole story.**

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_Who the night is for_

It was when young Zhú was about 20 years old and the great master was almost 34. That night Master Heng was going to spend in the main hall of the school, for he still had much work to do. The academy was very young, and he was still the only teacher there, although Zhú always tried to help the younger students whenever they needed it, but the master didn't have enough time. She had naturally become some kind of a 'spare' teacher and she had a lot of things to do besides working in the gardens, learning, training and meditating, but she liked that. Those things helped her fill the emptiness in her life. They helped her not to think too much...

Master Heng of course had convinced Zhú to help him that night with the paperwork, what meant that they had to sit for a few hours when it was dark and late, count the amounts of fruits, flowers and vegetables they had to send to the village or the amounts of rice, furniture, new training equipment or clothes the school needed, write down new ideas how to make the life at the academy easier and more harmonious, discuss how to prepare better the future and older pupils etc, etc.

Zhú agreed to help him, of course... but she did that when she was still able to think clearly and stand. Now she was so tired that she could barely hold her head above the table, but if there was still some work to do, she wanted to help him finish it, life at the school was too chaotic anyway. They had to organize it at last.

So they were sitting alone at the corner of the long table in the main room, among many pieces of paper and documents, and only a few candles standing on the table were lighting the place around them. Master Heng had to leave the room for a moment to brew some strong tea, and when he was exiting the hall, Zhú followed him nervously with her olive-green eyes. She thought she would just take a short rest. Her brain needed it desperately. So she laid her head on her arms on the edge of the table, and turned her head just slightly to breathe. Not that she would be able to fall asleep on the table, she didn't even consider such a possibility. She would totally burn with shame if he saw her sleeping when she was supposed to be working. Not to mention that he would kill her.

But when he came back with two cups of hot black tea after a few minutes, he could approach her normally and she didn't lift her head. He put the cups on the table quietly, leaned down and realised that she was fast asleep. _Well, so much for our work at night_... He thought calmly and sat down at the other side of the corner of the table. He leaned back and started to stare blankly at the small candle flames, for his brain was falling asleep too. The idea of working at night wasn't so good as he had thought and he laid his chin on his arms beside the girl.

He started to wonder why she hadn't told him that she was too sleepy. He didn't want her to fear him or to be afraid of his reactions. Then he started wondering why she did that all for him in the first place. What did he know about her?

She was an orphan, that he knew for sure. She was quite intelligent, but though she could talk to others, and she always tried to be friendly, he realised that except for him, she didn't have any close friends, as a person who preferred to spend her time on working, learning, training or helping him rather than on chit-chats with other girls. Actually, when she didn't have any good reason to talk, she was very withdrawn. That loneliness seemed to come naturally to her, though he didn't believe that she liked that. He knew what had happened to the girl's mother and that sight had surely destroyed a huge part of Zhú's soul, but... _What if she's so cold... because the wolves hurt her before they did that to her mother?..._ He wondered for the first time in his life. How couldn't he think of that possibility earlier? _No._ He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to disperse those dark thoughts. _I would have noticed something.._ He finally decided and shifted his chin into a more comfortable position on his forearms, looking at the younger panda's face hidden slightly in the shadow.

He couldn't remember her having a boyfriend and the boys didn't seem to be interested in her, either. Maybe males were just afraid of such kind of females? He didn't understand them anyway. Maybe Zhú wasn't the most charming girl in the village, but she wasn't ugly. He would rather say that she had a very unique look. What he had noticed for sure was that she rarely behaved feminine, but in the other hand, she also never tried to act like a boy.

_So maybe she's... lesbian?_ It came to his mind suddenly. He felt strange with that thought, but pondering on that longer, he understood that even if she was, it wouldn't change anything between them. They had been friends for a few years, they had survived the same horror, the same tragedy, now they shared the same plans to ensure the pandas a safe place to live and a possibility to defend themselves in the future. For everything she had done for everyone although she didn't have to, for the strong, sweet person she unawarely was, he had come to value and respect her and Zhú's orientation wouldn't make him dislike her. Besides, he had never seen her looking at the other girls in some special way.

The master looked at her once again. She was still asleep. He wondered what she was dreaming about. Maybe about her parents. He would understand it, for he himself often dreamed about his family. His wife and their son were still alive in many of his dreams.

He couldn't take Zhú to her bed without waking her up, so he decided to leave her there. He put the documents away and blew out the candles. As he stood up, he took off his green cloak and covered the panda girl with it gently. And then he left the hall quietly, not to wake her up.


	8. Not yet

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_Not yet_

It didn't happen very often, but sometimes even giant pandas got sick. That week Master Heng spent at the Tea Palace, lying under a warm blanket in his bed. He had a terrible headache, dry cough, runny nose, slight fever and he was totally tired of the whole world. He was lying half asleep, watching and listening to the thoughts and dreams flowing through his mind.

Every time he fell asleep he imagined his wife embrace him and leave gentle kisses on his head, she had always done that whenever he fell asleep first. Every time the panda master fell asleep he thought of his son, but now... it was so difficult to see that little panda angel in his mind's eye. He almost didn't remember his son's face.

That made him cry a lot.

He suddenly heard the door to his room being opened. He was so sleepy that he didn't even open his eyes to check who it was.

"Master?" Ming, who was sixteen years old at the time, asked and after approaching him quietly, she sat down on the edge of his bed. "I've brought you a cup of tea..." She almost whispered and her paws trembled a little from nervousness. Just a few minutes earlier she had decided that she had to talk to him, for she, Chen and Tai Lung were so worried about their master's condition (though the boys tried not to show it too much).

He sighed under the blanket, wondering if he could sit up and drink it.

"...with linden flowers, blackcurrant, raspberry juice and honey. My auntie's recipe."

"Please, Ming.. Later." He muttered in such a weak voice that it almost broke her heart when she was looking at the poor big panda shivering under his blanket. Ming couldn't look at her kung fu master's suffering and tears shone slightly in her eyes. She turned her face to the wall again and sniffled. It wasn't right. He was so good to the other pandas. He had done so much for them all. Why did he have to work so hard and go through such painful experiences after losing his family? That was so painful. Cruel. Life was so... unfair. She put the cup on the table.

"Now." She said firmly and started to pull the blanket off the bigger bear. His eyes widened in utter shock, he caught the edge of the blanket in the last moment and pulled it quickly closer to his face.

"What do you think you're doing?!" He asked, pulling himself into a sitting position and looking finally at the girl, who ignoring his shocked reaction, suddenly burst into tears and threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly and crying.

"Master, I don't want you to diiieee!" She sobbed out desperately, sniffling.

"I'm not dying!" He assured confused by her behavior, trying to loosen her embrace around his blanket. "It's just a cold!"

"That's not true!" The girl shot 'comfortingly', still sobbing. "My grandmother died from a typical cold! Please, Master Heng, promise me that you will tell me if you need more blankets, more tea, hot vegetable broth, or whatever you want!..." The younger panda pleaded, while a very particular thought came to the older master's mind.

"Ming, Ming, Ming..." He patted her arm and when she lifted her head, she met his somehow hopeful look. "Do you really think... that I have a chance to die?"

The panda girl looked him in the eyes in silence for a moment before she broke down again. "Oh my gooood!" She cried out, hugging him again, not being able to beg him not to die anymore.

_Well, that question was a bit selfish_... He thought, staring at the young panda almost mourning him, although he was still alive. _Selfish as hell_... He laid his paw on hers, and stroked the girl's back warmly. Her feelings were so painfully honest. Tears gathered in his eyes for a moment when he remembered that his son would be now her age if he were still alive. And although he wanted to be dead like his family, he felt bad about wanting to pass away so easily, while so many pandas still counted on him, and wanted to keep him there. That made him think.

He wanted to tell her something, but his throat was a bit too dry, so he took a few sips of the tea and... he couldn't believe what he was drinking. The master took a look into the cup. _God, this tea is awesome_. He thought surprised, swallowing it. He finally put the cup back on the night table and spoke to her again, covering himself with the blanket as the shivers returned. "I promise that I'll recover in three, maybe four days at the latest.. if you bring me more such wonderful tea tomorrow."

Ming chuckled suddenly despite the sad topic she had brought up. She wiped away her tears and smiled, although she couldn't hide how red her eyes were. "I'll bring you everything." She promised. "Just call me anytime you want, OK?"

He nodded his head in honest gratefulness, thinking of something else at the same time. "Ming..?" He asked uncertainly. "You said that you liked medicine?"**  
**


	9. Pain that shatters hearts

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_Pain that shatters hearts**  
**_

It was one of those years when the number of the pandas training at the academy was a little larger than usually... It was the day of visits at the school and there were only the youngest students in the valley now, walking around and talking with their parents. The older warriors had gone to the village and the young pandas were showing their parents the school, their private chambers and the main hall on the ground floor of the big building. Master Zhú had stayed in the valley because she somehow didn't feel up to go to the Hideout.. and because the day was very sunny, she sat in one of the small gardens under the branches of a weeping willow growing there. There was a small place surrounded by flowers where she could meditate in the shadow on the grass and gaze at the valley.

The panda watched some younger boys playing in the training grounds. Looking at them was so hypnotizing. She wasn't thinking of anything particular. That kind of meditation was probably the best.

"I've been thinking a lot of the visits lately." Someone stated close to her, what startled her a little. Zhú looked at the source of the voice and saw Master Heng sit next to her on the grass.

"I didn't know you were in the valley today." She said, explaining her surprised reaction.

This time, he looked at her a bit unbelievingly. "It's... my academy, I actually sometimes spend time here." He said and looked at the school again. "I think that we should allow them to spend two days in every week with their families."

She didn't look entirely convinced to the idea. "But it would lengthen the time of their training.."

"So what? The students have many responsibilities here, they need to rest properly." The older master explained. "Besides, their parents have not enough time to get here and return home later."

The female smiled slightly, she liked it when he was being so... panda creature. Kind, protective and normal as if he had forgotten how strong he was. "Maybe you're right. Two days will be enough." She nodded her head. "Nobody will be forced to spend two days on resting, anyway." She added with a slightly mean smile, what wasn't unexpected, considering her passion for training. Did she even have any other life aside from kung fu?

He sat in a more comfortable position and his hand accidentally landed close to hers. Although he touched her, he didn't move his hand. Her eyes opened wider in surprise, but she really enjoyed that touch. She never had many opportunities to feel his pure energy so clearly so she tried to absorb as much of it as she could. Zhú wondered why he hadn't moved his hand. She knew that her touch wasn't equally pleasant to him. One day she had accidentally heard how hurtful things the students could say about her and her lack of a husband and children. Well.. what could she do.. they were also her students, she loved them anyway, and she would give her life for them if it was necessary.

Maybe her touch helped him clear his mind?

Her gaze landed on one of the girls standing in front of the school: she met there with her parents and when the father embraced her, probably telling his daughter that he was proud of her, the mother looked truly happy, while Zhú felt strong pain in her heart. She always felt it, seeing such things, but this time it was something more. She immediately felt tears shining in her eyes and that tightness in her throat. Years before, Zhú used to react like that every time she saw a father treating his daughter with affection. But that day, she felt like crying not only because she wasn't that girl, but because for some reasons, she knew that she would never be that mother.

Master Heng saw those three pandas too. He looked at Zhú and seeing her face, he didn't need to ask any questions. Although she never said even one word about her suffering, he knew exactly what she felt... and to tell the truth.. the sight of the three pandas reminded him of something he himself had lost forever..._**  
**_


	10. How to weave love

******(A.N.) This is definitely one of the worst things I've ever written. Sorry.**

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_How to weave love_

It was another beautiful day she had to spend on embroidering or learning how to use the loom. Gosh, she hated that so much. If there was the most boring job in the world, it was surely making clothes.

"Misumi!" The panda girl's father shouted after her, when she was leaving their house, angered by her mother's advices. Of course, she was doing everything wrong: the stitch was irregular, the knots too small or too big. She had had enough of that. "Come back here at once! You're not allowed to leave home until you've finished your work!"

His wife sighed, standing in the door beside her husband, looking as their daughter was walking away into the village. "You shouldn't force her to that." She suggested carefully, knowing that he was being as much enraged as the girl. "It looks like she really doesn't like it as much as we do-"

He turned sharply and made his way into the house. "Nonsense! Children have always taken over their parents' profession."

"Huh, really?" She wondered aloud surprised. "As far as I remember, your father was a carpenter, yet you didn't want to become one."

"Those were different days!" He explained awkwardly. "This is not the same situation!"

"This is exactly the same situation..." She said, smiling secretly and embracing him from behind.

* * *

It was getting dark early, as always in the mountain village. The anger didn't leave her, as she was walking down some path in the village. She didn't even know where she was going now, talking and complaining to herself aloud. "_'Not allowed?'_ Humph! Since when am I their slave to play with those stupid needles, wefts and warps?!"

"Is there a problem?" Some calm voice spoke somewhere nearby. Misumi stopped startled and when she looked around, she saw that she had approached the rice terraces on the edge of the village and some panda dressed in a simple workwear and a rice hat was leaning against the fence there. She thought that it was a male, but when the panda lifted her face, Misumi saw that it was a girl a bit older than her, a girl with beautiful green eyes and a smile charming more than she was probably aware. She blushed, for she didn't know why her heart had started beating faster, although she wasn't scared.

"I hate the loom." Misumi explained with a stupid smile on her face and she suddenly felt like an idiot. She realised that she was dressed in the finest clothes in the village and she could change her colourful dresses every two hours, and she still was complaining, while that girl was dressed in... not exactly rags, but she could surely look more neat.. and feminine.

The green-eyed girl didn't say anything, she just eyed her dress and sent her a strange, but a somehow meaningful smile.

"Sorry." She said, thinking that the older girl didn't know what she was talking about. "I'm Misumi and I'm..."

"I know who you are." She said suddenly, what made Misumi feel even more stupid. Of course, everyone in the village knew her and her family. "We all wear the clothes sewn by your parents." She said, noticing that the younger girl was feeling uneasy. "My name's Li Mei. So... you don't like your work?"

"It just seems to be interesting, but the truth's that it's very boring." Misumi explained quickly, knowing that Li Mei would start some lecture about how hard she had to work at the terraces and she wasn't such a complaining princess.

"So I assume that you know what you want to do in your life?.." Li asked.

She sighed. "Not at all... But I won't believe that you like wading in the water like a stork all day long."

That remark made Li laugh a little. "I'm taking a day off tomorrow. May I help you somehow with your work? Maybe it's not so boring as it seems."

"You want to waste your free time to help me?.. Why?"

"Because I don't like wading in the water like a stork all day long." Li answered, sending her the same meaningful smile as before.

* * *

The next day, Li came to Misumi early in the morning and she was amazed how well the house was furnished, although the building didn't look so big from outside. Although Misumi's parents liked Japanese minimalistic style, there were also a few decorations here and there, which vivid colors fitted together perfectly. It was visible that the family could have everything they wanted, what wasn't very surprising. They provided the village with the best clothes, so they were surely very busy pandas. Busy and rich. They sew, wove and embroidered. Actually, they could make any clothing the pandas needed. Li felt so poor when she entered the house, but later, when she was sitting in the workshop with Misumi, she felt a bit better. There were only the tools they needed, tons of colorful threads, blank fabrics, needles, scissors, dyes, the fitting room, and of course, the hated loom.

Misumi's parents were surprised that their daughter wanted to try sewing again and she even had brought there a friend. Not that they thought Li was some thief. Thievery would be a rather difficult profession in the village protected by Master Heng and his students. Misumi's mother convinced her dad to leave the girls alone for a few hours and let them work in their own way. They left them the whole workshop, giving them only one task. So, the girls got some green fabric and they had to turn it into a well-looking dress. The parents didn't give them any other advices, counting on their daughter's knowledge and experience, however funny it sounded. Besides, the task wasn't so difficult, considering that they didn't have to weave the fabric from the beginning.

* * *

It had been two hours since the girls started and their laugh was coming from the workshop from time to time. "What are they doing there?" Misumi's father asked his wife when they were sitting in the kitchen after breakfast. "They should be finishing now."

"It's probably called 'having fun'." She replied, smiling widely, for his nervousness was almost making her laugh too.

* * *

"I should have suspected that you would try to do that." Li Mei rolled her eyes when she was standing on a wooden stool in the middle of the room. Of course, Misumi had to use her as a model and she was having fun, indeed. "Stop laughing and just take the measurements." The older girl said, trying not to grin like an idiot when the younger one was touching her with a sartorial meter, tickling her unintentionally.

When they finished, they could finally sit at the table and started to cut the green fabric. But it was the most pleasant part of their work, though they had to be careful not to cut it too much. After another hour of cutting and talking, Misumi knew more about Li Mei. She was an orphan, with no siblings, her parents had been killed in the genocide when she was two, her grandparents were long dead. Some farmers took her under protection, adoption would be a too big word. They taught her how to work at the terraces and she couldn't imagine that she could actually do something else, although it wasn't her dream job.

Soon, the parts of the dress were sewn together, and it looked 'quite good' what Misumi, after a long while of taking a close look at Li dressed in it, stated.

They determined that the dress needed some decorations. Misumi's mother would never let them take a dress without any ornaments out of the workshop. The girls couldn't decide what colors they should use. Li wanted of course threads in dark shades of green, or golden ones. Misumi had to explain to her gently that such colours were already reserved for the great kung fu masters from the village and copying their look wouldn't be very... appropriate.

So they decided to use red colors. It was a risky choice, but the green color of the dress was fresh and bright. They drew an ornament with little red flowers, and found some instructions how to make a good stitch. They made red lines of decorative stitch over the edges of the fabric and the places where it was sewn together. The lines weren't perfect, but well... now Li at least knew how to do that. They also added some wooden buttons and some other details.

"So, how do you like this job?" Li asked, when they were embroidering the curly ornaments, trying to make them look as in the drawing. "It's not as boring as you said."

The other girl chuckled, sticking the needle through the fabric. "Wait until you try to use the loom. Or the spindle. Dad always kills me with those..." She stopped talking when she saw Li's face sadden and remembered that she was blabbering about her father while her parents were dead. "Sorry.."

"Huh?" The older girl looked at her surprised. "Why? I'm just afraid that we'll have much work at the terraces soon. Rice harvest, you know."  
Now Misumi saddened. That day spent on sewing a dress with Li was quite pleasant. (Although they wouldn't make enough clothes if they worked so slow every time.)

"Maybe... this work is not so bad..." She admitted thoughtfully.

"'Not so bad'?" Li spoke enthusiastically. "Just think about it. Yesterday you didn't even want to think of threads, now you're holding them without complaining. Yet a moment ago we had just a raw piece of fabric. Now we have a raw dress. We didn't have any decorations. Now, slowly, with every move of the needles we're creating quite a good ornament. It's like making something out of nothing... Isn't it awesome?" She finished her thought and saw that Misumi didn't understand it as well as she did.

"If I had such inspiration every day..."

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind." Misumi said quickly when she finished her last part of the floral ornament and she suddenly pulled the dress off of the table and took a look at it. It was finished. "OK. Now, get undressed." She said to Li.

The other girl's eyes widened a bit and she blushed when she felt her blood flow towards her face. "What?.." She asked weakly.

"I need to see how you look in it." Misumi explained casually, though inside she became suspicious why her friend was acting like that. She was a bit... kinky, actually, she was a rather strange person, but Li didn't know about that, so she didn't understand why she was behaving so shyly. "You can't put this on your clothes when it's ready."

"Ooooh." Li Mei started to chuckle relieved when she understood what the grey-eyed girl meant. "Why won't _you_ try it on?" She asked a bit suspiciously.

Misumi eyed her with bored impatience. "I could... but I'm too short."

"Right." Li agreed, almost giggling nervously. She took the dress and went to the fitting room.

She felt strange, undressing in such a strange place, while that girl was waiting to see her. She put the green dress on carefully, as if she could destroy it. There was no mirror behind the curtain, so she didn't know how she looked like. Probably bad; she almost didn't know what it was like to wear a dress. She wore only simple things in which it was comfortable to work. But she couldn't stay there forever.

Misumi looked at her with wide eyes when she saw the female coming out of the fitting room. "What?.." Li asked, unsure why her friend looked so... surprised.

"Nothing, you just look... different." Misumi said, though Li couldn't understand what she actually meant.

"OK," She sighed and waved her hand in a gesture of resignation. "Spare me comments about me looking like a guy in a dress."

Misumi couldn't help but burst in laughter, hearing that remark, what earned her an enraged glare from the other girl. "I won't say anything. Just look yourself." She said, smiling mischievously and pulled the curtain hiding the wall behind her.

There was a big mirror. Li looked startled at the beautiful panda lady dressed in a dress in the color of her eyes who was standing there. Li turned around and looked at the reflection of the red flowers, they had been the most difficult part of the work. The red ornament ran down her back and wrapped her on the left lower part of the dress. She couldn't believe she was looking at herself. "Misumi, you have a huge talent." She finally said, stunned by what she saw in the reflection, and the younger girl giggled.

"Well, I see some mistakes." Some voice spoke, what surprised the girls. Misumi's mother, who suddenly had appeared in the workshop, said, taking a close look at the green dress. "The stitch is uneven here, here and here." She remarked, indicating a few spots on the dress, when she recognized her daughter's mistakes. Misumi rolled her eyes, but she was proud of her work, anyway. "Some of the parts have been sewn too sloppy, but... the dress looks good." The girls smiled when Misumi's mother continued. "The combination of the colors is rather... daring. I'm sure it was your idea.." She looked at her daughter, not hiding her smile. "Well. It seems that someone has finally convinced Misumi that our profession is not so bad. You're welcome to stay for lunch." She offered Li suddenly.

"Thank you.." Li replied surprised, because she hadn't expected that invitation. "But I should take off the dress first."

"No, no, darling. You should keep it, it suits your eyes."

The girl blushed when she remembered something rather embarrassing. "I'm afraid I cannot afford it. I don't have enough... rice."

Misumi facepalmed while her mother eyed her friend a bit confused. "It's a gift!" She whispered very loudly.

"Thank you, I appreciate it, really, but.. I couldn't go anywhere in it, I work at the terraces all the time.." Li said, plucking at her claws nervously, for she didn't want to act impolitely.

"Hmm.." Misumi's mother started, taking the girls out of the workshop. "We'll talk it over during lunch."

* * *

As days were passing, Li Mei and Misumi became closer friends and they tried to meet as often as they could, although the older girl had much work, like the other farmers, while Misumi learned from her parents, and tried not to lose hope that every next meeting with Li wasn't the last one. But they still could find some free time to just walk around, talk about things other than their work, or just loll about somewhere and laugh at nothing particular. And Li could finally wear the dresses she had made with Misumi and look like a girl.

Misumi took great pleasure in spending time with Li, that person made her feel so fresh and great. Everything was so different with her, even work was like having fun. She thought it was just the matter of her weird personality and she was glad that Li hadn't noticed anything, for she had started to feel almost as if she were spending time not with some girl but with her.. boyfriend.. or rather girlfriend. It was so funny. And impossible.

One evening, when sun was still warming the dry ground lazily, they were lying under a weeping willow near the river. "I'm such a forgetter." Misumi started, lying on her back with her head on the other girl's stomach. It was getting late and she had just remembered the most important thing she had to tell her. "My parents said that you had a talent and potential, so if you want, you can work with us... of course if it's not a problem..."

"What?!" Li Mei asked suddenly, sitting up and pushing the younger girl onto the ground unintentionally. "Really?!" She tried to make sure, looking at Misumi with hope.

Misumi lifted herself off the ground, slightly annoyed by the rough treatment. "Yes.."

Li's excited screech deafened her for a moment, but she couldn't be angry with her when she felt her arms embracing her so tightly that she almost couldn't breathe. "I want, of course I want! I'm so happy!" Li Mei assured, but then Misumi felt something more, what surprised her so much that she stopped smiling when her friend kissed her on the cheek in an expression of joy... and then she repeated it.

The green-eyed girl felt Misumi stiffen and she saw that she was looking at her stunned. "Li..." Misumi almost whispered, staring at her in shock.

Li Mei pulled herself away from her younger friend and she suddenly felt that she had gone too far with her excitement. Nice, she was going to lose her job on the first day she had got it. "Sorry." She said seriously, feeling Misumi's strange gaze on her face, though she was trying to look away. "I'm just glad to know that you like my work... I must.. go home now." She finally said and she got up not to make the situation worse.

"Li, wait." She heard behind her back when she was about to walk away, so she stopped for a moment. "Why did you kiss me?" Misumi asked, for she thought that if she didn't ask that question now, she would never find out the truth.

Li chuckled embarrassed and leaned against the tree trunk. "It doesn't matter." She said, smiling a bit sadly. She wanted to explain it, but... for a longer moment... she couldn't find a good answer even for herself. Misumi was still looking at her expectantly, though she wasn't trying to make her feel abashed.

"So...?" She asked to encourage her, leaning against the trunk too.

"It's stupid." Li chuckled again, blushing in the dark. It was very helpful that she couldn't see her now. "I thought... that you.. liked girls too." She confessed, not knowing that Misumi's eyes widened at the same time and her heartbeat quickened, she couldn't believe what Li was saying. She hadn't expected that. She had thought she was the only female in the village, or even in the world with such... strange liking. "You were always at ease with me, and..." Li was explaining, until she heard Misumi's reply.

"I don't like 'girls'.."

Li's smile fell when she heard that quiet, unsure statement in the dark. Why did she even expect to hear something else? "OK.." She whispered. She felt really bad after what had happened... Then she suddenly felt Misumi's hand find hers on the rough tree bark and she looked at the panda surprised.

"I like only one." Misumi finished, looking her in the eyes.


	11. The day that changed everything

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_The day that changed everything_

"What if he's not my son?! What if I made a mistake and he's a completely strange panda?!"

Master Chen rolled his eyes after resting his chin on the edge of the table in the main hall of the Tea Palace, listening to his master's outbursts of panic. Chen and Tai were getting tired with Heng's nervousness. They really had expected that he would keep some courage, self-confidence, dignity, anything. Instead of that, the panda they had known so well was now behaving like a teenage girl a moment before her first date. Since the visit of Master Crane, the great master had been trying hard to put on a brave face, but now, when the Dragon Warrior and 'the others' could arrive at any moment, the same or the next day, he was pacing back and forth trying hard to recall in his mind that vague vision from before a few months.

_What if I read the vision wrong?_ The master of wild panda style thought to himself. "...I wouldn't survive such shame." He realised distressed, stopping suddenly dead in his tracks. He regretted that Zhú was now at the academy. Her unwavering calm would help him dispel his fears, as it always happened in her presence.

"Well..." Tai Lung began thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair. "Then we would have to kill him to save your honor... and later hush up the affair somehow."

"Can you repeat that?" The master asked venomously, sending him almost Zhú's-like glare, while Chen facepalmed, albeit only to hide his laughter. Although he was trying to remain the only one relaxed there, the mood of excitement was infecting him too. He was very curious about that Dragon Warrior guy. Something was telling him that they would have fun with him.

"Master," Tai started, slowly getting up. He approached the older panda and started the comforting part Heng had been waiting for. "You talked to Master Crane. You and that panda have the same memories. You lived in the same village. You look the same... (at least that bird said so)," Tai Lung added quickly. "he's the same age your son would be now. And he's the Dragon Warrior, honestly, I'm not very surprised, knowing you." He listed everything what had come to his mind, while Master Heng started to think of something very intensely.

A longer moment of silence passed and no one said anything, while the thought of having a son, a son who was still alive was slowly getting very possible, almost touchable to the older master. He still couldn't believe that all. So he actually had a child? No, he wasn't a child anymore. What would he tell him? How would he react?

_What if he doesn't like me at all? He's an adult and we don't even know each other..._ He saw in his mind's eye that little panda angel falling asleep in his arms and he smiled to himself excitedly. _...but I remember you. And I will love you since the first moment, and I promise, I will accept you entirely-_

"Yeah, looks like you have a son." Tai Lung stated with a warm smile, stopping his thoughts.

"Master!" Ming ran into the hall suddenly, making a loud noise on the wooden floor. They looked at her, seeing that she had something very important to say. The master's heartbeat quickened when he understood what was happening. She was smiling and panting, but more from the emotions than from exhaustion. "He's here!"


	12. Good joke

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_Good joke_

Lying in his rather unfriendly hard, wooden bed, Shan pulled his blanket onto his beak, shivering with cold. Usually, he used Heron's body as a good warmer, but that dark night among the cold mountains was particularly unpleasant. He sneezed once again and scratched his forehead. Great, all he needed now was catching a cold. The white female bird snuggled closer to him, but it didn't help much. _Enough_. The peacock thought and he got up despite the hellishly cold temperature of the wet air. Passing by his 'throne', he approached the opposite wall of the stony chamber and took one of the panda furs off of the wall.

"Those pandas at least were quite useful." He commented and threw the fur at Heron lying in the bed and didn't miss in the complete darkness. She caught the fur impatiently and wrapped it around herself, shivering, and hiding her legs deeper into her feathers. He reached out his wings to find another skin.

"Uh... Shan?" Heron asked quietly, what made the blue bird turn around although he couldn't see her anyway. "This night is really cold..." She remarked, sounding unsurely. "Maybe you should give him one of the furs?..."

"Give who?" He asked genuinely disoriented.

"The Dragon.. Warr-rior?.."

He rolled his eyes and sighed, chuckling tiredly. "He's fat. That one fur he was born with must be enough to keep his ass warm for the nearest few days."

"Did you see him? I mean, not that I'm worried about him, but he may not survive to see your great revenge and... you know.."

"Heron! I don't recognize you." He started to laugh, forgetting for a moment about the panda fur. "I didn't know you liked playing jokes in the middle of the night! Haha!"

After a moment, he stopped laughing when he didn't hear any laughter coming from the corner in which the bed was. "...because it was a joke, wasn't it?" He asked in _that_ tone she knew that she should watch her step, hearing it.

"Yes, actually.. It was.. a joke." He heard her sad answer in the dark.

Not wasting more time, he sniffled, taking another fur and threw it onto the bed. He didn't say anything more, but she heard his quiet chuckle when he was walking up to the bed, thinking of something, apparently. He was very sleepy, so he quickly jumped into the bed and covered himself with the blanket and the panda skin. Now the night was going to be more bearable.

"To give him a fur... stupid.." He mumbled, relaxing under the warm black and white fur and pulled the heron greedily close to himself, sinking his wings and legs into her feathers.


	13. Doubts

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_Doubts_

It was soon after the panda warriors had managed to get back the Dragon Warrior.

Po's father sat in the blooming cherry orchard-like garden behind the Tea Palace. When he leaned his back against one of the cherry trees' trunk, he remembered that there was also that grave, and in the grave - the remains he had thought it was his son's skin.

_Did I see what I saw?_ He thought quietly, recalling what he had seen the first night when Po was in the palace again. Although he felt attached to his students, he couldn't even imagine what would have to happen that he could find himself sleeping with them in the same bed. That was something completely impossible. _When two persons sleep together, hugging each other in such a way... it can mean only one._

He ran his paws over his face and sighed. That whole strange situation was tiring him. And that all was happening right after Shan's visit and the other tragic events. _But how can Po and Shifu have romantic feelings for each other?... It's... It's... it's just.. impossible. I can't believe it!_

The panda took a deep despairing breath and buried his face in his arms. Life was full of surprises. He had been afraid that Po was arrogant like he himself used to be in his youth, or that as the Dragon Warrior, he was a dull brute, but even in his weirdest ideas, he had never suspected that his son could be a... homosexual. And he couldn't help but feel a total disappointment, realising that Po might never have his own family and he would probably never have grandchildren._  
_

_Is it our fault? Is it something I could fix? Was he always like that? Even when he was a little child? Or maybe something happened later?.._ For some strange reason, it came to his mind that he might not have any right to judge his son's choices. _Maybe I'm not the best person to tell him who he should love and how. For his entire life I couldn't be with him, though it wasn't my fault._

The soft wind started to blow again, spreading the sweet scent of flowers around. Fortunately, Chen and Ming had taken the Five and Mr. Ping to the village to let Po sleep and rest, so it was very quiet in the garden now and the master could think peacefully. He wasn't sure what Shifu was doing now, though. The red panda was probably sitting in Tai's room at the palace now, meditating or.. praying..

_But how could Shifu let that happen?_ He thought with a feeling of anger. _Po is still young and stupid, he may fall in love hundreds of times in the future, but he...he has no right to take advantage of that._

But in the other hand, the panda master couldn't forget how Shifu had behaved after the kidnapping and the funeral. The red panda didn't seem to pretend, and he knew that kind of suffering Shifu had been going through. And Po had wanted to see him after waking up not without reason._  
_

_What if Shifu really loves him? Something must have happened between them long before coming here... _He thought, having a hard time, trying to understand how could love appear between a father and someone who was destined to defeat his son. But that only said a lot about Po and his role of bringing peace to everyone._  
_

Master Heng realised that he was in a very difficult situation. What was he supposed to do? Tell Po that he wasn't someone he had expected to meet? Forget that he had a son? Force Po to leave the Valley of Peace so that he could never see Shifu again? _But as the Dragon Warrior, Po shouldn't leave the Jade Palace. As Mr. Ping's son, he shouldn't leave the Valley of Peace._ He could also explain to Po that his feelings would bring him serious troubles in the future, and it would be better if he forgot about the red panda forever, but how hypocritical it would be, since he had never judged his students' feelings for others, even when he had thought that Zhú was attracted to females. If he stopped accepting Po, it would only humiliate him, break his heart and bring him a feeling of shame and sense of inferiority for the rest of his life.

_But if I'm not wrong and they really feel something for each other, do the Five and Mr. Ping know about them?_ He couldn't guess now. Po and Shifu behaved as if there was nothing particular between them.. but they all could be pretending, not to give the pandas a reason to despise them, especially Po and his master for their relationship.

_"AND I WILL HAUNT AND KILL YOU IF YOU DISOWN OUR CHILD FOR SUCH A REASON!"_ Po's mother's voice sounded suddenly in his mind, lifting his face off his arms.

_Well, that's something I haven't thought of yet. If Po's dad and friends don't know, he will need my support. Though I hope he will never have to stay here because of someone's contempt and rejection._

The panda stood up slowly and took a deep breath again, stretching his arms and legs and saw the poor panda's grave under the flourishing branches of the trees. Just a few weeks earlier he had thought his son was dead. Because of him. Again. But now he would rather have an alive son with a strange life than a dead, perfect son.

He knew that he had to think even long and more about that matter, find out what Shifu really felt for Po and what his family would think about it, but for now... he knew at least that he loved Po and that life could have brought him a much worse tragedy than his son's strange first love or infatuation.

* * *

Po was sitting on the edge of his bed in the room where he and Mr. Ping slept. The blanket was lying, thrown carelessly along with a wet bathrobe on the other side of the bed and the panda's body and his paws were covered with the greenish healing ointment smelling dizzyingly of mint and many other various herbs such as camomile, salvia and yarrow. Po thought that applying the ointment and changing the bandages would be very easy after taking a bath when he had to restrain himself as much as he could from scratching almost his whole skin. Well, he was wrong. After a long fight, he had managed to wrap clean bandages around his arms and some around his legs, and although it looked rather pitiful, the worst part was wrapping the rest of his body, because he couldn't reach so far behind his back. He sighed tired and frustrated and laid his hands on the edge of the bed. Suddenly, quiet knocking sounded in the room when someone behind the door heard that he was awake.

"Po? May I come in?" The Dragon Warrior's panda father asked and Po felt slight panic.

"Uh... yeah!" He answered spontaneously, looking around desperately, trying to find something to cover himself. Why did everyone have such a need to walk into his room whenever they wanted to, as if he didn't need any privacy? He had hoped that it was Shifu or someone else, but anyway, he had hoped that he would change those stupid bandages by himself, he wasn't a child, goddammit!

"I know how stupid question it is, but how are you feeling?" His father asked gently, closing the door after walking into the room. He looked heartbroken at the panda still sitting helplessly with the bandages lying loosely around his waist and shoulders.

"Hmm... everything.. itches." Po confessed.

"I'll help you." The older panda said, sitting beside him quickly and took the end of the bandage carefully. He took it off his son's neck and started to wrap him again, trying to cover the dried wounds. "It's because of the scabs..." He said thoughtfully. The scar on his hand, made unintentionally by Zhú, looked rather like a minor cut now. "Ming can help you change your bandages, I'll tell her. You shouldn't move and lift your arms too often now.

"The medic said that I shouldn't lie all day long." Po remarked, when the other panda pulled him by the hand and forced him to rest his forehead against his shoulder. It should felt strange, but Po, after a short moment of blank confusion relaxed, as if he were meditating with Shifu. The master took another portion of the ointment when he saw that the layer was too thin and spread it over Po's back carefully. He felt tremendous peace, pleasure and almost mystical happiness when he could be so close to his son, when he could touch him and be aware that he was alive and this time it was not another dream. It wasn't so surprising that _everyone_ loved Po. Some people just had that Light in them. Some people didn't have it. _How could I think of disowning him?_ He thought, though he was himself surprised that his unconditional love had come to him so naturally.

"I'm sorry that I'm such a horrible father." The master confessed suddenly and started to wrap the clean bandage around Po's chest, covering slowly the lower parts of it. "I promised that I would become your teacher. But I couldn't even save you when you needed me."

"You never promised me anything like that."

"I did promise." His father assured. "About twenty-five years ago." He didn't feel Po's wide smile that had appeared on his face, because to Po, it was so funny that the panda master, who almost didn't know him, knew about him more than his goose father. He applied more ointment on Po's back, but when he touched the old bruise on his left kidney, the younger panda trembled a little, though he didn't say anything. The master immediately understood that the place was still painful and he spread the cream very gently.

"Actually, you _are_ my teacher." Po said in a slightly wavering voice, breathing with effort. "If I hope that one day I'll be like you, it means something, don't you think?"

The older panda couldn't help but chuckle quietly. "It means that I should hide all the knives and cleavers in the palace, because Mr. Ping's going to be very jealous again."

That remark made Po laugh, though he had to try to muffle his laughter as his fresh scars started to itch again; the ointment was starting to work. He couldn't imagine a fight between his fathers. But if one were ever going to happen... he was afraid that the panda master would have no chance against the infuriated goose father.

Master Heng finished wrapping him with the bandage and he was tying a small knot on Po's right side, when his son suddenly felt very weak again. "Maybe it's really too early for me... to walk again." Po stated and felt the older panda's arms embrace him. The strong smell of herbs he was bathed in was making him feel sleepy and wonderfully relaxed. But then he opened his eyes when the moment was getting longer and it was a bit embarrassing to him. "Dad. You're hugging me."

"You must forgive me, Dragon Warrior." The great master said in such a grinning tone Po just loved from the first second. "It's just force of habit. You'll always be my little son to me."

The younger panda took that confession with an almost unerasable smile and turned to the wall, trying to lie down. Because he was tired after the bath, his father helped him lay his still weak body in the bed comfortably, and completely automatically, he covered him with the blanket. Force of habit.

* * *

Two hours later, when the warriors and the goose could tire Po blithely again, the panda master stopped in front of Tai Lung's mother's house and he only hoped that his student didn't have any other visitors now. The panda woman opened the door after he knocked quietly. She looked at him surprised with her wonderfully blue eyes and a delicious smell of soup escaped the house immediately after she had opened the door.

"Master?.. I didn't know you would come here today." She said disoriented, still holding a dishcloth in her paw. He realised that he was actually lucky. Very lucky that she wasn't going to literally tear him to pieces for what had happened to her son.

"Good afternoon. I need to have a quick word with Tai. It won't take long..." He promised, almost feeling his ears fall flat on his head.

"He's asleep now..."

"Oh.." The panda said. He could have expected that answer. "I'll come back later then."

"No. It's not necessary." She said and moved a little to let him in. "He'll have much time for sleep, go ahead, he's in his room now."

* * *

When the old panda entered the room on the right side of the small house, he saw Tai sleeping in his bed, under a white, thin blanket, but he probably used it not because he felt cold. The weather was rather warm, sometimes even hot, but he knew how Tai loved his mother and maybe he just didn't want her to see his wound and make her worry all the time.

The younger panda cracked his eyes open sleepily and he looked completely unconscious for a brief moment when his master sat down near his bed and wondered how to begin what he was going to tell him. "Hey..." He whispered finally. "How are you feeling?"

"Huh?... Master? What happened?" The student said, slowly waking up and realising that it wasn't another dream that day.

"I'm here because I must tell you something..." The teacher said and he felt that his heartbeat was getting audible in the silent room.

Tai looked at him with his eyes widening with every second when the master wasn't continuing. He felt his blood drain from his face and he paled like a snowflake, seeing the older panda's serious face. "Oh, God. No." He said, surprising him a little. "Is it something with Po?"

"Po?.. No!" The teacher chuckled. "He's OK."

"Gosh.." Tai sighed with relief. "Whew! You always scare me when you make such intros."

"Sorry." The master said, feeling a bit stupid as he realised how that situation looked like. "I just want to tell you that I'm glad that you're alive." He confessed. "...that you survived." He didn't seem to hurry, so the other panda looked at him a bit confused.

"...You came here and woke me up only to tell me that?.." He asked suspiciously, not sure if it was another one of Chen's stupid jokes, though he doubted that their kung fu master would agree to participate in it.

"Yes..."

Hearing the answer, Tai sent him a stunned look, but he couldn't stop a wide grin from appearing on his face. "Well, thanks, Master." He said still surprised by the sudden confession. "It's always nice to hear something like that from you... Like the last time, remember?" He was cruel, but he just had to remind him his prank from before a few weeks, grinning at him. "It was really cute."

Master Heng sent him _his_ grin too. "Don't push it."

The younger panda stopped grinning like an idiot, though he didn't want it. "Sorry."

The master stood up and sighed, gathering his thoughts. He walked up to the window and looked thoughtfully at some panda children running down the path. "I was thinking today a lot.. and I'm very sorry for what happened to you.."

"Uh-uh.."

"...I know that you, my students, are warriors, you were taught how to fight and it's your.. 'job'. But maybe it was too selfish and irresponsible of me to risk your life. I was in despair. Everything was happening so fast. Heron betrayed us, Shan appeared so suddenly, he was a serious threat to the country, to everyone and I thought he had killed my son... I wasn't prepared for something like that." He ran his paws over his face and took a deep breath. "I had to make that decision. But I don't know what I would do if I lost you. I've known you, Ming and Chen for some years and you're like a son to me, but I didn't even think how it would hurt your mother if something happened to you. I can't believe you almost died because of me. Tai Lung, forgive me.." He said, turning to the other panda. "...Tai?"

The master couldn't believe what he saw. Or rather what he heard. The younger panda's eyes were closed, and... he. was. snoring.

It was probably the loudest facepalm in Heng's whole life. But he couldn't be angry with his student. He approached the door quietly to leave the room and let Tai Lung rest. He was alive. Po was alive. That was all that mattered.

_That's probably how love works._


	14. Angels

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_Angels_

Po, his father and the warriors from the Valley of Peace left the Hideout... Soon, colder days of gray autumn came to the New Panda Village. No one knew that it would be one of the saddest months in a panda warrior's life. But sad things just happened, without asking if they were wanted. Like that one day... when Tai Lung's mother passed away.

The panda was at the Tea Palace. He had spent the whole morning on lying in his bed. He was depressed, though probably no one really understood why. Of course, the others knew the pain of loss, but he felt completely lonely now. Misumi's, Ming's and Chen's parents were still alive, Deshi didn't even know his mother. Maybe Li could understand him, but she had been very young when her parents died. She never got any chance to remember them well. Although they were trying to support him, Tai had had enough of his friends' words of comfort. It was getting slightly embarrassing but fortunately, they were out now. Someone had to organise the funeral, but he didn't feel up to do that. They had offered him help, and he had accepted it with relief. He needed time, and he just wanted to spend that day in his bed. Where he could think and remember his mom. Where no one could see his tears.

* * *

She was like an angel. Cute, always smiled, always had a sunny disposition. Tai's family was never rich, but from what his mom managed to tell him in her life, they were a normal, peaceful panda family. His mom was a 'perfect wife', who rarely talked and never argued with her husband. And fortunately, he was a good man, who respected her, even though she expressed her opinions rather reluctantly.

His father died a few months after the genocide and Tai Lung's mother was alone with her child. It was a painful loss to her, but she never gave up. She loved children. She became a well-liked babysitter, and started to make delicious preserves to 'buy' things for herself and her son, because she didn't want to count on others, without giving the small society anything.

She never found another husband and she wasn't very unhappy for that reason. But she knew that soon, Tai Lung would start to grow up... He needed a father and she wasn't sure how to solve that problem. She didn't want him to feel inferior and incomplete in the future.

Fortunately, Tai Lung wasn't a frail boy. He was growing fast and although he was strong, it seemed that he had inherited his mother's peaceful character. So although she knew she would feel very lonely from now on, she finally gathered up the courage and asked Master Heng to teach her son. She just hoped that Tai would have a good father figure in his life.

The master agreed and soon, Tai left his home. The new life at the academy started for the boy and he was very stressed because of it. The first months weren't easy. He already felt inferior, because although he was getting used to the new place and new rules, whenever the other students talked about their fathers, he couldn't say anything. It was very depreciating.

As for his mother, that year was very hard to her too. She was used to have her child close to her but now, Tai lived very far from her home. Many nights she spent thinking if he felt good in the new place. But year after year, time was passing, and everything changed. Although her son's days were full of new lessons and duties, although he could learn many new things and meet wonderful friends, she was still worried and hoped that he didn't have any serious problems or enemies. As every mother would do.

When he still lived at the academy, Tai Lung tried to visit her as often as he could. He changed much, he grew up, he found friends, he became more open to others, and she loved the discipline he had learned during the trainings.

Everything became easier when the great master started to seek for the perfect model of friendship and cooperation. When he decided to train three students at the palace, Tai Lung, Ming and Chen were chosen, and Tai could visit his mother whenever he wanted to. So he visited her almost everyday, promising her that she could count on him any time and 'honoring' her once with an assurance that he was ready to take care of her when she got old and weak. She wasn't sure how to take those news. She was very used to the thought that she was still young. It wasn't very nice to her to hear about her being old and weak. He didn't understand her confusing reaction. Ming explained it to him later. She couldn't stop laughing for a long time afterwards.

* * *

And now, after so many years of his mother's faith and support, she died. Just like that. He would remember that moment forever.

It was a normal day. A bit too cold, gray and windy, because autumn in the mountains wasn't kind. After the training, he went with Chen and Deshi to the bathhouse to take a long, hot bath, later they went to the house to eat something. Tai knew that his mother had been sick since a couple of days. But she had assured him it was just a normal cold. Such things just happened in autumn. He planned to go to her in the afternoon and stay there until the evening. He wanted to help her a little, cook something delicious for her and clean the house. She had asked him not to worry too much, on no account to stop his training and he did what she wanted. She was strong.

And when Tai Lung, his friends and their kung-fu master were sitting in the main hall, and drinking hot tea, someone knocked on the door. It was a woman from Tai's mother's closest neighborhood. It was very unusual to see her there, so everyone was quite surprised.

Her face was almost gray, unsure, with no smile at all. "May I talk to Master Tai Lung?.." The panda said very quietly when someone opened the door and invited her inside.

"What happened?" Tai asked, standing up and approaching her. His hands trembled almost invisibly as he feared the worst.

"I'm afraid I have bad news for you." She confessed with such an expression as if it were her fault.

"But what happened..?"

She took a deep breath and sighed, hoping that she would tell him the sad truth in the softest way. "Your mom is dead."

"What?..." He stared at her for a few seconds, with a complete blankness in his mind. "Why?.. Why do you say that? I mean, it must be some mistake. I'm going to visit her today, why would she..."

"I'm very sorry."

"But it's.." He managed to say completely shocked, staring the older woman in the eyes.

He couldn't remember well what had been happening later, because something had started to swoosh loudly inside his head. The headache was horrible, as if someone were hammering inside his skull. Someone grabbed his arm, pulled him toward the table and forced him to sit down. They gave him a cup of water and he heard only fragments of her explanation when she was talking to the other warriors.

"I brought her something to eat... like yesterday..."

"...she was sleeping in her bed.."

"..we didn't know she was so sick..."

"...I'm so sorry."

He knew he would never forget those words.

* * *

It was late and it got dark. Tai Lung sneaked out of the palace quietly. The evening was cold, the air heavy, but refreshing. He needed a moment of solitude. By the way, it was quite surprising that no one was trying to comfort him now, tell him that everything would be OK, or something like that.

He found the small house he knew so well. Hoping that no one in the neighborhood would notice his appearance, he entered, and the darkness and silence in the home depressed him. He could hear every sound of the squeaking floor, every quiet sound and voice outside, but without his mother's presence and cheerfulness it was just a cold, empty building.

_I really wanted to take care of you._ He thought with the saddening awareness that he had the whole house to himself now.

He sat at the table in the small kitchen, where as a child, he had spent with his mom many evenings on cooking, baking, making preserves and playing with flour, rice and spoons until very late hours. Those had been wonderful days. Now, though it was dark there, he didn't need to light any candle, for he knew that place like the back of his hand. The thought that he would never fulfill his promise was sad, but more sad was the fact that he was all alone. He had no blood relatives anymore. No mother, no siblings, probably no cousins. And what hurt him so much that he didn't want to admit it was the fact that he didn't even remember... his own father.

He didn't know if he would ever have children and a wife. He was rather unlucky in that matter, and pandas were never very fertile. Actually, it was a miracle that they still existed.

Tai didn't know how long he had been sitting there, but when he started to realise that along with the death of his mother some long chapter in his life had finished, he felt very lonely again. The fact that he was an adult wasn't helpful, not at all. That kind of loneliness was just difficult.

He left the house quickly when he was feeling that he was starting to cry again. Coming back to the palace, the panda started to wonder where his friends were now. He had been probably a pathetic sight to them for the last two days. How could an adult man cry for his mother like that? They had never seen Deshi crying for such reasons, although he was in the same situation. Actually, they had never seen him crying.

The panda finally sat on the bench in front of the palace. Slipping his hands into his sleeves, he gazed at the faint lights of a few bonfires in the village. _How could they leave me now for so long?_ He wondered with a bitter feeling of disappointment. _OK, I wanted to be alone, but they left me just like that. Like they didn't know what's happening._

_...Maybe they wanted to let me handle this problem alone. Or something stopped them..._

Tai Lung sighed, lowering his head. He was feeling awful. Like a total orphan, a loser. He wondered if Li Mei had ever felt like that. He was close with Ming and Chen, but they couldn't understand him. The suffering of being the last of the family. It was something unimaginable. It was a total disaster.

_Chen, Ming, Misumi, Li Mei.. even Deshi.. Where are you?..._

There was something comforting in the silence and the slightly smoky air. He would love to spend that whole night on the bench, but it was getting too cold.

The panda stood up, preparing himself to enter the palace. But he didn't know what he would do, say, how he should behave after opening the door. Maybe they were inside, waiting for him to talk again. Tai felt he wasn't prepared for the funeral. He didn't want to think of it. He wasn't even wearing any mourning clothes. When he finally opened the door, those mean tears appeared in his eyes again, although he had been hoping it wouldn't happen again.

The main hall was empty, only a half-burned candle with a small, dancing flame was still standing on the table. _So they aren't home yet..._ He didn't know earlier that preparing funerals was so difficult. They had to think of everything, since he wasn't very helpful to them. The panda felt touched when he realised that they actually were good friends. He really could count on them.

Tai turned left, for more light and warmth was coming from the kitchen. When he stopped in the doorway, he saw Master Heng. He was standing behind the square table, leaning against the kitchen counter and drinking tea from a wooden cup. Tai's appearance must have dragged his thoughts back to reality, because he sent him a slightly surprised look. When the panda saw his master, he almost started to cry again, as he felt completely lonely once again, but he didn't care if he was acting like a total kid by showing his weakness in such a pathetic way. Quickly, before his mind had a chance to stop him, he walked up to him and embraced him unceremoniously. The older panda put the cup on the counter and returned the hug without a word. He knew Tai felt really bad, for it was unlike him to act so desperate. He could feel the student's fear, pain, uncertainty, loneliness, shame, broken heart and everything he had felt once... or twice.

But to him, it wasn't shameful, he understood him well. He hugged him tighter like his own son and rubbed his back comfortingly. He never forgot that help he had received from his friends - also from Tai Lung - when he was in the same situation. And though he didn't say anything, Tai knew and it was most important to him that he just understood.


	15. Truth

**I don't own any of KFP characters or locations. I own only the OCs.**

* * *

_Truth_

It had been a few months since Deshi the wolf joined the Tea Palace in the new hidden Panda Village. To him, everything was almost as if he had appeared there about two weeks earlier. He had managed to get used to the valley, but life at the palace was something different. He used to be a part of a big pack, but now the life showed him the reality he had thought he would never experience as a future bandit. So, there were rules, the wolf had many duties to fulfill like the other students did, things to learn and besides trainings and visiting the academy with Chen, Ming and Tai Lung from time to time, he had to help the others keep the whole building clean and tidy.

Everyone was very nice to him... He wasn't treated better or worse than the others by the master, though Po's father saw it every time whenever some situations were apparently new to the youngest student. He always gave him much time to learn everything himself.

So Deshi learned that the younger inhabitants of the palace didn't have to give the best food to their master. They ate almost all meals together and no one had to be afraid that they wouldn't get enough food or that the food would be stale or inedible. And the pandas had really large amounts of various things to eat.

Deshi found out how it worked when on one day, he asked Po's dad why the students from the academy gave them their crops even when they didn't have anything to offer in return. So, the master explained that every part of the 'inner world' in the mountains provided the village and the valley with different goods whenever it was possible. The students at the academy studied kung fu and other arts, and they grew vegetables and flowers, for the soil in the valley was best for them. The village offered many kinds of services and the wet ground of the green valley was better for rice and bamboo, the inhabitants grew also other kinds of plants, to produce clothing materials, tea, sometimes even cereal, and of course nobody forbade the pandas to cultivate their favourite plants in their small home gardens. However, although the palace itself was a spiritual cousin of the academy, it also supplied the two valleys with the most delicious fruits from the only 'orchard' there.

Eating with the others was still very stressful to the wolf, although he had no reason to feel nervous. Chen even joked that he probably watched his figure. Deshi was just used to different customs. When they still had worked for Lord Shen, the pack had only as much food as the wolves had managed to steal or extort from unlucky villagers. His father often behaved aggressive when they shared their loots, he pretended that he was very greedy for food, and thanks to that, he often managed to save some extra food for his growing son without pissing off the other hungry soldiers and risking Shen's anger, for the peacock would rather feed his army than kids.

When the Boss Wolf was killed, no one cared about him anymore. Despite Deshi's father's order, Qiu never treated him like his own son, and whenever the pack stole something to eat, his uncle just grabbed and devour it with the strongest soldiers, after leaving the best morsels for Shan and Heron of course. Unable to fight for bigger rations, Deshi had to wait for leftovers or sometimes 'magically' make the food disappear. Like that night when he stole Heron's last meal to feed Po.

He still had his old habit of sleeping curled up with his head covered with the blanket, as if he was afraid that someone would attack the palace and they would be forced to fight or flee. He still woke up early, slightly stressed and disoriented, uncertain of what he would be doing in the morning. It was a strange feeling that now, when he didn't have any special 'protection' of his blood relation to the bosses anymore, he didn't have to be afraid that someone would harass him, because in the village... no one wanted to do that.

But to Deshi, the strangest thing was that Master Heng, although he knew that he was the Boss Wolf's son, never talked about his father, except for asking him a few neutral questions in the beginning. The panda was a teacher to him, he talked to him normally, explained to him the life in the village and was supportive, treating him like a normal kid. Earlier, when Po and Tai Lung were seriously wounded, no one had time to think about it, later it seemed to be so insignificant who the wolf boy actually was to Po's father, although it was still something very unimaginable that he had found himself in his father's greatest enemy's charge. Maybe Deshi's and Po's fathers would fly at each other's throats instantly if they only met again, but it didn't make it impossible to Po's dad to treat the young wolf with the same respect with which he treated his other students. Even though the master knew he had saved Po's life, to Deshi, his patient, peaceful and magnanimous attitude was something very unique.

Something so unique that when he started to feel more certain in the new circumstances, he noticed that sometimes, falling asleep was more difficult than before. Physically he felt much better, but the secret he shared with Po couldn't stop haunting him at night. Something told him that it wasn't fair to cheat his master. He could imagine cheating someone like Qiu, Heron or Shan, but not the panda who had done so much for him. And for many nights, turning from side to side, he was thinking over his situation and considering what to do. But the longer he was thinking of it, confessing the truth seemed to be the most natural way he should choose. Finally, Deshi decided that Po's dad was a teacher worthy of his trust and although Po himself had hidden the truth from him, his father didn't deserve to be cheated like that. It wasn't an easy decision. He couldn't know what would happen after telling him. He could imagine himself being a huge disappointment to him. Maybe he would have a very long and very unpleasant talk with the grand master, he couldn't guess. But if he was ever to grow up... he felt he should face the consequences of his deeds.

* * *

One morning, when Chen, Ming and Tai Lung were preparing for the long way to visit the academy in order to train there with other students for some hours, Deshi sat on his bed and waited for them to leave the palace. What was unusual, they weren't hurrying that day, so he was sitting on his bed like he was meditating, waiting and listening to their talk. He knew that the master would spend the whole day at the palace. The previous evening he had told them he had much paper work, because winter was coming and someone had to organise the last bigger supplies for the two valleys and make sure that there were no serious conflicts among the inhabitants before the Winter Festival. But the others were going to be out, so Deshi thought it was the best moment to talk with the master.

"Hey, aren't you ready yet?" Chen asked, opening the door to the wolf's room suddenly. He sent him a surprised look and entered the room when Ming pushed him inside and came in too, sure that Deshi was ready to go.

"No. I'm not going with you today." The wolf answered, trying to sound normal. "I'll be very busy and.. I really don't have enough time to train. Sorry."

The pandas exchanged confused looks. "Busy?... Yes. At the school." Chen said unconvinced. "Master said that we should help you."

"I'm telling you, I can't go there today." Deshi explained, standing up and stretching. "I have things.. to do." He said, slightly annoyed by the panda's curiosity.

"OK, see you later. Come on." Ming said, noticing the wolf's nervousness and pulling her husband by the hand.

"Wait a minute..." The panda started, standing in the same place and staring at the wolf with a suspicious grin. "He keeps some secrets from us.."

Deshi's face, although he didn't want it, started to get red and his pupils widened a little. He was lucky that his face was black. _How does he know?..._ He heard his voice in his mind. _How does he..._

"Oh, don't listen to him. He's saying that to stress you out." Ming explained, getting the wolf's attention. "If he has other plans, it's none of our business. I won't be forcing him." She said to the other panda.

"See?" Deshi asked Chen. "She's smarter than you."

The pandas didn't have time to argue longer, so although Chen was still looking at him suspiciously, he let Ming pull him out of the room. Tai Lung was already going downstairs, so the wolf breathed a sigh of relief when after a short talk with the master they finally left the house and made their way north. Now he needed to choose a good moment and later... later waited the worst part of his growing up.

_Nice._ Deshi thought, sitting down on his bed again. _I start telling the truth with lies._

* * *

After a long while, he went downstairs quietly. The rustle of papers assured him that Po's father was working in the main hall. He stopped where the panda couldn't see him and leaned against the wall, biting his claws unawarely. _Be strong._ He thought, trying to find at least small comfort in his old memories. _You bit Shen when you were a little kid, you cheated Shan and his bandits, what would Po's father do to you?_

"Deshi?.." The wolf heard the panda's voice coming from the big room. "What are you doing here?" The master asked surprised when the boy came in unsurely and looked around the various pieces of paper lying on the table. "I thought you were going with them?.." Master Heng asked, looking at him with his big green eyes.

"Sorry, I know I should..." The wolf admitted, looking away at the table and heard the next question immediately afterwards.

"So what stopped you?"

"You know, I..." Deshi began slowly, scratching his ear. The master was still staring at him, and it wasn't really helpful. "I have a problem and I thought it would be better to stay.. I mean... here, not at the academy. Because I need to meditate and I thought you could.. give me an advice?.." _What are you talking about?!_

The panda looked at him even more stunned by the question until he finally he shook his head slightly. "I don't have time for this now. We'll talk in the evening, OK?"

"Alright." The wolf nodded his head immediately and turned to leave the hall. _Oh gods, what am I doing?_ He thought disappointed in himself and almost bumped into the wall, leaving the room.

"Deshi?.. The panda's voice spoke again. He turned again and saw his master looking at him concerned. "Your problem doesn't have anything to do with meditation, does it?"

The wolf nodded his head and dropped his gaze. He sighed heavily and felt a strong need to scratch his ear again and he did it. The panda stood up, pushing the chair back with a loud sound. He approached the student and the wolf took a step back automatically. The panda pretended that he didn't see that. "Tell me the truth." He asked. "Someone at the academy said something mean to you? Someone in the village treated you badly because you're a wolf?..." He tried to guess, looking him intensely in the eyes. "Tell me who."

"No." Deshi refused strongly. "I mean they didn't do anything wrong."

The panda looked slightly surprised. "Someone from the palace?.."

"No, no, no. That's a big misunderstanding." The wolf put his paws on his face and sighed again. The master really didn't understand him. He forgot about the work for a moment. "You see, you're very good to me and I respect you.. That is why I must tell you something..." Deshi finally said and raised his eyes, sending the teacher a disturbing look. _I should have rehearsed this earlier._ "Do you remember those marks on Po's body?..."

The master didn't answer, but his serious, attentive look was something the wolf unfortunately had expected. "You still don't know something about who made them." Deshi continued with a look of guilt in his yellow eyes. He wanted to say something more when in the next second he felt his back and head hit the wall behind him and before he managed to realise what was happening, he felt the panda's paws grab him by the throat. It was a thunder of shock running down his body. His heart started hammering like crazy although he was paralysed with fear.

"Are you trying to say that you have something to do with his scars?.." The panda asked calmly with a dark glare. Deshi was taking short breaths, trying to calm his heart, but he didn't dare to touch him.

_It was a mistake. A huge mistake._ He thought and he couldn't hold his gaze anymore. _It will be the shortest adulthood in the world. What have you done?!_

"I can't hear your thoughts." The panda remarked, still waiting for answer.

"Yes." Deshi stated, trying to look into his eyes once again. "But not only me. My uncle told me to do that. They beat Po up... and I didn't want him to suffer more." The paws tightened around his throat again and the wolf didn't know that his body was shaking until he lifted his hands to unbend the panda's fingers. The green glare didn't change. It was the end. A sharp pain entered Deshi's heart, but he didn't regret that he had told him the truth. "I'm sorry." He whispered, closing his eyes.

Suddenly, the paws let go of his throat. The wolf breathed in deeply, still unable to think. "Get out of my sight." He heard the master's order and he obeyed immediately, trying to get out of the hall as quickly as he could, when a sudden loud, dull thud cut the ominous silence behind his back. He turned and saw the panda, who was shaking splinters off his paw.. and a big hole in the wooden wall where his head had been a couple of seconds earlier.

Master Heng didn't say anything, didn't look at the wolf again. He turned and went upstairs.

* * *

Time was passing unbelievably slowly. Deshi left the palace, wanting to give his master enough time to calm down and go back to work. He wasn't sure what he should expect now. He didn't expect anything good earlier. He went to the village to hang around there without any purpose. He soon found out that mingling with the crowd wasn't possible when he was the only wolf in a village full of pandas, and he wasn't doing anything particular. The looks the pandas were giving him stopped bothering him when he started to plan desperately what to do. He had an idea to visit the workshop where Misumi and Li worked, but he'd rather not waste their time. Deshi just wanted that day to end. He wanted his master to stop feeling so bad and angry. He wanted to make up for everything he had done and get back his friendship. Nothing more.

Deshi stopped on one of the bridges and leaned against the fence, burying his face in his arms. The pandas passing by probably thought he was completely drunk.

_I didn't want to hurt anyone._

_Why do I always hurt others when I do what I think I should do?_

_Always._

_Maybe I just don't belong here._

_Maybe I don't deserve to live here._

* * *

When Deshi finally returned to the palace, he holed up in the kitchen quickly, because he was hungry. It was still too early for Ming, Chen and Tai Lung to come back. The master was still sitting in the main hall and judging by the violent rustle of the papers and sharp scratch of Heron's quill, he was furious. He heard the wolf come in, he knew he was there and... ignored him completely. Deshi prepared some food very quietly and ate it, listening to the hypnotizing sounds coming from the hall. The consequences. They were harder than he had thought they would be. The decisions. How could he know what to do? Mistakes. They were everywhere.

* * *

He remembered that there were still dirty dishes in the kitchen and some mess here and there. Deshi thought that he had been wasting time long enough and he started to clean. He washed all the dishes, put the spoons in perfect order, he swept the flour and crumbs off the kitchen counter, dusted every shelf and jar he could find and swept the floor. The work he had found for himself was so absorbing that he could hardly find anything more he could do there. Meanwhile, the panda left the main room a few times, but didn't come to the kitchen. Deshi didn't know that so much time had passed when suddenly, someone opened the door and he heard his friends' voices. They sounded happy, although they surely were tired after the training and the long way.

"Hi, Master." Ming said when they came in, not bothering to behave quietly, for they were still a little breathless.

"Maan, they are tough." Chen's voice spoke. "Rong turned those kids into some war machines. Who would have thought?"

"I know we took a bath in the valley, but I wouldn't have anything against another one now." Tai stated, taking off his robe.

"Where's Zhú?" Master Heng's calm voice came from the hall when the pandas entered and he heard only the three students. Deshi heard in his tone the anger that was still in him.

"Oh gosh! I knew it!" Chen replied, facepalming. "Sorry, Master, I forgot. I'll tell her next time-"

"I TOLD YOU TO BRING HER HERE TODAY!" The older panda shouted, standing up suddenly. The students froze in a complete silence and shock, with a stunned stare in their eyes. Deshi could hear the master approaching his friends and he understood what was happening. He used to see it almost every day. Every time Shen, his cousin or Qiu had got angry they would vent their fury on the nearest person standing beside them. It wasn't fair that Chen was now going to pay for what he had done. The wolf came out of the kitchen without hesitation, although he was trembling with fear. He didn't want to know what would happen, but he was sure it would be very painful.

"Master..." The wolf began quietly, appearing suddenly beside the other students. The panda sent him the same glare like in the morning.

"We won't forget this time. We'll go to the academy early in the morning tomorrow..." Ming promised, not knowing what was happening between their master and the wolf, for the green glare was still burning him. "...uh.. today?"

Deshi didn't know why the panda was still waiting, instead of...

"Good evening, Master." Someone's voice spoke behind the students. They turned at the same time and saw Master Zhú, who had appeared there suddenly. She brushed the dust off her paws after the long travel. "I thought you might need my help."

The boys looked grateful for that miracle and Ming pulled them discreetly by the arms and they withdrew from the hall quietly. Leaving the room, Deshi only managed to see Zhú wait out patiently the master's angry remarks and complaining about Chen's memory with something what almost looked like a grin on her face. She didn't look scared and the master seemed to feel calmer in her presence.

* * *

Ming, Chen and Tai didn't notice the big hole in the wall and they went straight to Tai Lung's room and to Deshi's distress, they dragged him there too.

"My god." Chen sighed, and immediately sat down tired against the wall. "What happened to him?"

"It was almost like when you were following Deshi and he thought you were dead." Tai said to Ming after he sat against the edge of his bed and crumpled up his robe in his hands thoughtlessly.

"Really?" She asked and embraced tightly her husband, sitting close to him. She gave him a kiss on the forehead and he confirmed Tai Lung's remark with a sad "Uh-huh." and a nod of his head, unable to stop himself from bursting out laughing at their small game, what confused the wolf.

"OK, enough of this support group, it won't be happening in my room." Tai warned, although his friends didn't care and continued what they were doing. "What happened before we returned?" Tai Lung asked the wolf, who had sat down near the door. "You must have seen something."

"I think... he's just had a worse day." Deshi stated quietly. Not that he was lying to them. "Much work and..."

"Yeah..." Chen spoke disbelievingly. "And what were you trying to say when Zhú entered?"

"I wanted to tell him that I had cleaned up the kitchen. Hey, you're stressing me out again."

"It was a punishment?" Chen asked and everyone looked at him surprised. "For what?.. You could have told us."

"No. It wasn't.. oh!" Deshi stood up irritated by the questioning. "Nothing happened. I'm going to sleep. My back is sore." He explained, leaving the room and the confused pandas, who followed him with their eyes.

* * *

He pretended that he was sound asleep until late hours in the evening. Fortunately, his friends were so tired after the long day at the academy that they fell asleep very early, without taking another bath. Deshi knew the master wasn't upstairs, but he had heard the main door being closed, what meant that Zhú had left the palace. Although he was heartbroken, he took his backpack, which his friends had bought for him one day, he folded up his black clothes and put them inside along with two long knives taken from Shan's camp, a funny wooden bottle and a few personal belongings. He rolled up his blanket and tied it to the backpack. He should take something more, but... well, he didn't have many things. He walked up to the door and looked around the room for the last time. Leaving that place was unbelievably painful. He knew he would miss the village.. and them all much.

* * *

Deshi went downstairs quietly, not to wake up the pandas. It was dark in the main hall. He could see that the master was sitting at the table in the kitchen, from where bright light was coming. The wolf guessed he was eating something, although he could see only his back dressed in the green cloak.

"I'm leaving." Deshi stated, standing in the doorway. He didn't hear any reply, though he couldn't be surprised. "I'm surely a big disappointment to you, but you should know that you're not a disappointment to me. I told you the truth because..." He confessed and sighed with sadness. "I don't know. I just couldn't lie to you."

The panda didn't react, continuing eating. The wolf's ears fell. Maybe he didn't want to answer.. and talk with him at all.

"I'm sorry again. And thanks for everything." Deshi said genuinely and turned to the door. "Goodbye."

"Why didn't he tell me?..." He heard the panda's quiet voice, as if he was talking to himself. Deshi didn't hear any anger anymore. He stopped and leaned against the wall.

"He had many reasons." He explained. "The most important one was that he didn't want to hurt you, I'm sure of it. Po forgave me and tried to help me. Such a real... Dragon Warrior." He admitted thoughtfully.

The panda stood up and approached the wolf. Deshi didn't see that enraged look anymore. The master was just... sad. And he felt very bad about that. "If Po forgave you..." Po's dad said. "...I forgive you too."

An extremely stupid, confused look appeared on Deshi's face. He thought it was a joke, though he did his best to stop his smile. "...Really?"

"Take off the backpack." The master said and left the kitchen.

The wolf followed the master with his eyes, feeling pure joy in his heart and a wide smile on his face. He was home. He felt it now.

Deshi quickly blew out the candles in the small lanterns and caught the master up. "You're very courageous, you know?" The panda asked in the dark. "Never do that again."


End file.
